About the Event

Mark your diaries and celebrate Thanksgiving with AmCham who will present The Hon Pat Conroy MP to outline the governments framework for delivering a strong and safe Indo Pacific.

Our region is subject to significant geopolitical pressures, which are reshaping Australia’s economic, social, and sovereign security priorities. 

Key to advancing Australia’s stable and peaceful Indo-Pacific interests will be the allocation of $1.7 billion in new spending over five years, and access to $250 million as a catalyst for private impact investment in the Indo-Pacific via the freshly completed Development Finance Review.

This will ensure that Australia remains a partner of choice in our region, through tackling regional challenges of economic growth, healthcare, infrastructure investment, climate change and gender equality. 

The Hon. Pat Conroy MP is the Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and the Federal Member for Shortland. 

“We are responding to the priorities of our partner countries and helping to lift people out of poverty, building resilience and strengthening relationships in our region.”

“We will invest in local solutions that deliver a double dividend – creating local jobs and delivering direct economic benefits on the ground, while also improving the development impact of Australia's investments.”

Hon Pat Conroy MP, Federal Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Australian Government

The Hon. Pat Conroy MP is the Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for International Development and the Pacific and the Federal Member for Shortland.

Pat was elected to the House of Representatives as the Member for Charlton, New South Wales in 2013 and, following an electoral redistribution, as the Member for Shortland, New South Wales in 2016 and again in 2019 and 2022.

From 2016 to 2019, Pat was Shadow Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy and Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure. In 2019, he was appointed Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Shadow Minister Assisting for Defence and Shadow Minister
Assisting for Climate Change and Energy.

From 2008 to 2013, he was Principal Policy Adviser and then Deputy Chief of Staff to the Hon. Greg Combet, AM, MP, who served as a Minister in the Rudd and Gillard Labor Governments. In these roles, Pat worked in developing significant policies in areas including Defence Materiel, Defence Science and Industry and Innovation. 

Born in 1979, Pat was raised on the NSW Central Coast and went on to study Economics at the University of Sydney, graduating with Honours in 2000.

Pat is married with two children and lives in his electorate of Shortland which covers the Eastern Lake Macquarie area and the Northern Central Coast. He enjoys cooking, playing rugby union and watching rugby league.

 

MODERATOR: Rebecca Shrimpton, Director - Defence, Strategy and National Security, Australian Strategic Policy Institute



Rebecca (Bec) is Director of Defence Strategy and National Security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, having previously been responsible for convening The Sydney Dialogue, Australia’s premier policy summit for critical, emerging, cyber and space technology. 

Bec has over 20 years experience in policy, operational and corporate roles in the Australian Department of Defence and in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She has served as senior adviser Major Powers to Australia’s Foreign Minister, and led trade and investment in the defence and space sectors in Austrade. For the last decade Bec has specialised in space policy, deterrence and advanced capabilities, including the role of commercial dual use technologies and innovation in national security. 

Bec has provided high level policy advice to the Australian Government on Australia’s relations with the US, China, Five Eyes, SEA, the Pacific and on policy issues related to terrorism, insurgency, cyber, space, missile defence, nuclear and strategic deterrence and critical technologies. From 2015-2017 Bec was Counsellor Defence Strategic Policy in the Australian Embassy in Washington. 

Bec is a Fellow of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Program (2017) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC and an Alumni of the Munich Young Leaders Forum (2015). She is an Alumni of the Australian War College (2013 Defence and Strategic Studies Course) and is a Fellow of the College. She has a Masters of Strategic Studies (with Honours) from the Australian National University and a Masters of Strategic Studies from Deakin University.